MPP and battery charging. [RE-wrenches]

Tue Jun 17 09:21:03 PDT 2003

I've been using a RV Products MPPT controller for about nine months and
the most significant difference both my partner and I both regularly
observe is that the amps to the battery are actually what the array is
rated for. This is a huge improvement in daily power production and has
convinced me that extra cost of MPPT is totally worth it.  Now if only
someone would make one that did more for less money...

Regards,

Ezra

DragonSun Consulting
Morewater Road
Lasqueti Island, B.C. V0R 2J0

ezra at lasqueti.net
250 333 8650 voice
250 333 8670 fax 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection
[mailto:econnect at snowcrest.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 7:58 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: MPP and battery charging. [RE-wrenches]

John,
IMO, using an MPPT controller in a battery charging circuit is pretty
much called for these days. Unless it's a very small system or you are
using a 33 cell module (anyone even make them these days?) it's like
getting back what the PV manus try to sell us using the 25°C rating
nonsense. Specifying them into a system is the right thing to do for
your clients and I LOVE being able to configure many arrays at a higher
voltage to cut down on wire size and line loss. I've used both the RV
Power Products and the Outback offerings. Both work quite well. The
Outback has a far greater range of options (48V in-anything down to 12V
out, on-board relay for controlling a hydro or wind machine AND PV in a
hybrid system, dynamic PV/Battery voltage tracking which seems to
squeeze a few more watts out of the PVs than the RV PP jobs, remote
programming) but it comes at a somewhat higher price than the RV PP
line. Give a little, get a little. Good Luck, bob-O

>Group,
>    We seem to be getting more and more modules with higher max power 
>voltages.  Does this mean that we HAVE to use MPPT charge controllers 
>to get anywhere close to decent charge rates?  I have stayed away from 
>expensive controllers so far and also really like the accumulated amp 
>hours in the Trace C series but
>I do like the specs on the MX60.  I would be interested in some
experiences
>and if a Trace C40 IS used,  then I am asking if best performance will
be with
>the lowest peak power voltage module?
>
>John Blittersdorf

--
"The two greatest enemies of the people are criminals and government.
And if the latter is not tied down with the chains of the Constitution,
it will simply become a legalized version of the former." --Thomas
Jefferson

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